Barnet

Bees knees

Barnet v Darlington
FA Cup Round One
Saturday November 7th 2009, 3pm
A quick return to Barnet, following our 3-0 League defeat last month.
While the scoreline was a little flattering to them, they've been doing well in the League, particularly in their own backyard.

Past match - Tommy Wright jumps up and makes contact with Simon King..The Barnet player is forced off injured with a black eye. Wright is then sent off. ©Photos: Ted Blair/Northern Echo.

Man to watch

Full match previews on the D@rlo Uncovered website.

Visiting fans are given around 400 spaces on the low-rise and thankfully covered East Terrace, as well as the North Family Stand, out of a capacity of 4,800. It's like the old days and can be found after a walk along the side of the corrugated iron-clad stand. Ticket prices for 2009-2010 are on match day, £16 (£12 concession - under 18, over 60 and NUS) in the North Family Stand, or £15 (no concessions) in the East Terrace North. Advance tickets, £15 in the North Family Stand (£11 concessions, £5 under 12s) and £14 adult, £10 concessions and £5 under 12. Advance tickets can be bought on 0208 449 6325 and collected from the ticket office behind the stadium, accessed via Priory Grove.
Disabled fans: Disabled supporters and carers are free in the North Family Stand, booked in advance through Wendy Ayre on 0208 441 6932 x 812. Tickets bought from main office - concessions only for wheelchair users but there are only three spaces available carer. Car park has only three disabled spaces available in whole of stadium and need to be booked in advance. Anyone with a disability other than a wheelchair-user pays full price.

Barnet FC
Underhill, Barnet Lane, Barnet, EN5 2BE
(020 8) 441 6932
History: Founded 1901, early team from 1888, promoted to League in 1990/91.
Record Attendance: 11,026 v Wycombe FA Amateur Cup, 1952
Capacity: 4,800
Last season:
Honours: Conference Champions 1990/1991, 2004/2005
Record victory: 7-0 v Blackpool, Div 3, 11 Nov 2000
Defeat: 1-9 v Peterborough United, Div 3, 5 Sep 1998
Nickname: The Bees.
Colours: Amber and Black.
Manager: Ian Hendon
Chairman: Tony Kleanthous
Players in: Yannick Bolasie (Plymouth, loan), Jake Cole (QPR), Ahmed Deen (Macclesfield), Paul Furlong (Southend), Jake Hyde (Swindon), Micah Hyde (Woking), Albert Jarrett (Gillingham)
Players out: Cliff Akurang (Rushden, loan), Rob Beckwith, Adam Birchall (released), Neil Bishop (Notts Co), Ryan Burge, Ashley Carew, Ian Hendon, Ran Kadoch (released), Michael Leary (Grimsby), Jeremy de Magalhaes (released), Luke Medley (Woking, loan) Nicky Nicolau, Max Porter (Rushden), Kieron St Aimie (released) Ashley Carew 30-06-2009
Famous fans/connections: John Motson (fan, well he worked for the local paper once); Barry Fry (flamboyant ex-manager), Stan Flashman (ex-chairman, ticket tout extraordinaire).
Click for Streetmap of ground

Leave the M25 at J23, signposted Hatfield and A1081 Barnet. Take the A1081 towards Barnet and keep going for a few miles as the road becomes the A1000. You take a right into Barnet High Street and the ground is at the bottom of Barnet Hill near the junction with Station Road (A110), on the right. Street parking or carpark at High Barnet Underground Station (£2). There is also a shoppers' carpark - right turn before The Avenue pub in the High Street by Fitzjohn Avenue.

Alpha Cars Tel: 020 8447 1000 .
Barnet Licenced Taxis Tel: 020 8441 8381
Kerri Car Tel: 020 8368 5000
Darlington FC Supporters' Club
Coach 8.30am, cost £30. Contact: 01325 243911. See Darlington Supporters' Club Payment for each coach trip must be either paid for in full before travel, or a 50% non-refundable deposit paid in advance. Anyone wishing to travel on the coaches must join before the day of travel

Trains: From Kings Cross you can take overland trains to New Barnet (20 mins), which is then another 15-20 minutes walk to the ground.Or take the underground to High Barnet - the end of the Northern Line (zone 1-6 travelcard- offpeak £6.30 - don't get an Edgeware train). Tube ticket machines are now outside at the front of Kings Cross station. The journey takes about 35 minutes but closer to the stadium. From High Barnet, it's left down Barnet Hill and the ground is across the road at the junction in Fairfield Way. Should you need them, buses run down Barnet Hill past the ground. Or from New Barnet station, the 107 runs past or the 82 goes from the station carpark.
TRAIN TIMES (Updated Aug 2009) Darlington 09.04-arr London Kings Cross 11.50 (then tube/train as below - allow extra time because of engineering works), rtn 18.35-arr 21.09. Advance returns from £69, off-peak, £100.80
Birmingham New Street 09.10-arr 10.34 London Euston (then tube/train), rtn: 18.23-19.45. Fares: From £19 advance to £42 off-peak return.
Sheffield 09.27- arr 11.34 London St Pancras (then tube/train, see below). Rtn: London Kings St Pancras 18.55-21.00. Fare from £60.50 off-peak return

Real ale:
For those arriving for the weekend, like this fixture last year, there is the London Drinker Beer Festival opposite St Pancras station on until the Friday night. NB It is over unfortunately after then and not open on Saturday.

Ye Olde Mitre 58 High Street Tel: 020 8 449-6582
This has been recommended by the local CAMRA for regular changing ales and its consistency, although we were disappointed on our visit in April 2008. It's an old fashioned pub, the opposite end of the High Street from the ground, up the hill - turn right at the tube. Open 12 noon-midnight. We found two or three ales on on our first visit, but it was more Greene King dominated last season and in 2008-2009 it had one guest on! Sky screens. Friendly to away fans, with mostly locals. DAFTS recommended

Lord Nelson 14 West End Lane, High Barnet, EN5 2SA
A bit further up from usual haunts - turn left into Wood Street past the chuch up the hill from the tube. Serves real ale and good and reasonably priced food, which was served quickly (handly for match-goers, although there didn't seem to be many in evidence apart from ourselves) A lovely, sunny (on our visit) open plan lounge, with conservatory at the front and a dozy-looking dog. A good alternative and the walk is then downhill to the ground. DAFTS recommended

If you don't mind the walk, there is also the White Lion, 50 St Albans Road. Although there were no guests on when we arrived, the house Fuller's was excellent and we stayed for two! A homely place, with lots of room out at the back by the look of it.
Ye Olde Monken Holt, 193 High Street Barnet, 020 8449 4280
At least three real ales at this intimate locals' pub, which also serves good home-made food from 12pm. Has a conservatory and beer garden. Further up past the shopping centre, half a mile from the tube. DAFTS recommended.

London (Central)/real ale:

Doric Arch (or Head of Steam), 1 Eversholt Street, Outside Euston Station.
A regular DAFTS post-match meet-up when in London. This upstairs bar, close to the bus stops in front of Euston station concourse, has about five real ales on tap. Although no longer part of the HoS chain, there are still a choice of beers apart from Fuller's. Close to Euston and Euston Square tubes.
Alternatively, try Bree Louise, 69 Cobourg St NW1 2HH
Another real ale pub, 150 yards from Euston. Up to four beers on gravity and five on handpull.
Near Ground:
The Old Red Lion, Great North Road

Pub closest to ground, which welcomes away fans.
The Avenue, 31 High Street, Barnet.
A bit out of the way at the top end of the High Street, right out of the tube. Large M&B pub with TV screens, does food.
The Weaver, 27 Greenhill Parade.
Traditional Irish pub, with food, a short walk south of the Odeon cinema.
Railway Bell, 13 East Barnet Road.
A large Wetherspoon's, close to New Barnet station, on the main road, back towards the railway bridge and the A110. Three guest beers, cheap food and beer garden. Click for streetmap

Moon Under Water, 148 High Street, Barnet.
Wetherspoon's in converted shop.

At ground:
Durham Suite, South Stand, Underhill Bar at Barnet FC, open to away fans. Big screen with Sky Sports and free entry.

Plenty of take-away and chippie choice on Barnet Hill, or there is a fish and chip shop in Great North Road, the other side of the ground near The Weaver pub.
I thought the ground was good value for food, with the Pukka pies excellent and crusty for £2 from the terrace hut.

Barnet can be found in a leafy part of north London, so you can make a weekend of it in the capital. Should you want to shop local, there is the Spires Shopping Centre, 111 High Street. There's an online out-and-about guide for those who want to stay local - local attractions include the RAF Museum at Hendon. Least fascinating fact: "Barnet," the Cockney rhyming slang for "hair" comes from Barnet Fair.

Rail timetables Virgin Trains GNER National Express Online map Football Hotels Hotels/B&Bs
Barnet Times Barnet CAMRA Barnet council London Drinker

Surfing there...
Apart from the usual Official website, there is a Barnet football supporters' association site, which has an away fans' guide and also kept well up to date is Barnet Mad. See also the independent Bee Army site, which is in the process of being updated. The Rivals site is Bees, Bees, Bees. There is also the wacky but hardly updated and pop-up-inflicted Barnet Cartoons website, which also has an away guide
Next away match: Chesterfield (Saturday November 21st)
No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling. © DAFTS 2009

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